Who brings their Book to meetings?

[Pinkcuda]

I do and I seem to be in the minority. I'm just curious.

[24hrsAday]

i had a sponsor tell me to do that back about 2 years ago.. i did it maybe one time.. then stopped doing it.

[shaun00]

yes i do that.......i have one that stays in the glove comparment for just that.

i find i can follow the reading better....by following in my book.

Good excuse to give it away sometimes and buy a new one.....trucker

[CarolD]

I only did if it was a Big Book meeting.

We have an open bookcase with copies of both the
12 & 12 and the BB in our meeting hall.

It's easy to look up something if you choose to.


As I can no longer read print ...it's a non issue these days.

[TigerLili]

I have purse sized copies of the BB and 12x12 in my bag all the time, so I whip them out at meetings if necessary. It means that there is an extra copy for someone else - there are never enough to go round. Also, I can make notes in the margin and underline things if they are important to me. I see a few people doing the same thing. Not many though. But I don't care :-)

[Sugah]

I used to keep a little one in my purse at all times, but because of back issues, I had to quit carrying a purse. At my home group, we spread books out on the table for those who like to reference them in their shares (which I do more often than not), so it's no big deal there if I have it or not.

I know folks who bring them all the time.

Peace & Love,
Sugah

[Tommyh]

my home group has two book studies a week.One 12x12 and one big book
at the big book I bring my book as does most of the folks.We have some extras ones on the table for anyone who needs one.
At the 12x12,the same.Most everyone brings one and we always have some loaners

[Lily]

I do but only to BB meetings. I guess it wouldn't hurt, but I can never find anything, it isn't like the bible where they give you the reference. (book and verse) I know my sponsor does though.....

[shaun00]

off topic a bit...but do you guys in the u.s....give away big books to newcomers..

I dont see it much anymore over here......shame.

I guess its down to monies available..?

My old home group would give away one on the first 90 days and we would all sign it.....best wishes..etc.

[CarolD]

My home group has money budgeted so we can give away
the BB and 12 & 12 to anyone interested.

We have them priced at cost...some can and do pay.
But...
No one goes away empty handed if they don't want to.

[lizw]

I use to have one of those little ones that contains the first 164 pages alone. I carried it in my hand bag so it got to go everywhere with me but for the life of me I haven't a clue where it is right now. I know this because the other day I was trying to find it and couldn't locate it anywhere....

[Rob B]

I bring my book with me to every meeting and speaking engagment I do. Keeps me on message and carrying the message and not my personal interpretation. Guys I run with carry their books with them as well, yeah, we get some looks, so be it, I don't want what the majority in AA has to offer. The majority in AA drink again.

[jimhere]

My home group is called Bring Your Own Big Book.

[SelfSeeking]

Originally Posted by trucker

off topic a bit...but do you guys in the u.s....give away big books to newcomers..

I dont see it much anymore over here......shame.

I guess its down to monies available..?

My old home group would give away one on the first 90 days and we would all sign it.....best wishes..etc.

I was given a big book at my first AA meeting after identifying myself as a newcomer... well it was the second meeting. The first one that "stuck" and the first one in the town I live in I remember feeling so touched. Big warm fuzzies.

[Tazman53]

Well I keep one in my truck which I carry into any meeting that I do not see one on the table. My sponsor told me that "It ain't an AA meeting unless there is a BB on the table!" I just want to make sure that every meeting I go to is a real AA meeting! LOL

Most meetings I go to give at least BB's to newcomers, in my home group we give newcomers a BB & a 12X12.

Trucker next time there is a business meeting or group conscience why not suggest they start giving away BBs?

[scaredykat]

I bring my BB only to the BB meeting. My 12 & 12 I bring with me to the step meeting.

Most of the groups in my area will give a BB to a newcomer if they can't afford one. Also some of the groups have a monthly raffle and will give AA grapevines or other AA literature to the winner.

[CAPTAINZING2000]

Originally Posted by trucker

off topic a bit...but do you guys in the u.s....give away big books to newcomers..

I dont see it much anymore over here......shame.

I guess its down to monies available..?

My old home group would give away one on the first 90 days and we would all sign it.....best wishes..etc.

We do at our open meeting

The other meetings, you have to buy one

[sugErspun]

I bring it...it is inconvenient to have to go over to a literature rack to grab one if I need it.

[Ago]

I keep my original tattered 3rd edition with me in my car, it doesn't make it inside with me to meetings very often, but it has, and it gets used (read) frequently, and is always available to look stuff up in, since my car is generally within 50 feet of me.

It still has all the highlights and notes from my first reading of it, all my notes from my first time through the steps, and my original sponsors phone number and sobriety date in the dust cover.

I love opening it, it's a bit like a "spot check" 10th step, because I can't open it without remembering my first meeting and how much pain I was in, and how much relief I was having after my first ever meeting of alcoholics anonymous, and how far I've come since Aug 23, 1992.

[Ago]

Guy came up to me tonight i barely recognized at a meeting

Told me he still has the copy of the book I gave him ten years ago at his first meeting with my phone number written inside in his car outside

says he still remembers it like it was yesterday

he's been sober since then

Keep planting seeds, some of them grow

[Tommyh]

my home group sells them for costs at $6.25
if you are new and broke and want a book,we give you one,otherwise,you can buy one.
they are going up $1.00 around July 1st

[jimhere]

I've been in the habit of taking a book to meetings for years. Like someone said, often it is the only copy there.

Recently though I started to notice an attachment to the book. Especially MY book. My first one I worshipped, covered it in leather, carried it around for all to see. Several years ago I was moving out an apartment I had lived in for quite a while. I was going through stuff and found three old third-edition books that I had used in early sobriety, within the first four years or so. They were tattered, falling apart, written in, colored in, etc. I was wondering why I was hanging on to them and then I decided I didn't need them So I tossed them in the dumpster. I was talking about this at a meeting and I heard audible gasps. Afterwards, a friend asked me why I didn't give those books away. I said that I don't see any good in doing that. Those books were my experience, a ten year old experience to be exact, useless to anyone. Have your own experience is what I say. So I love the book, but I don't have to carry it around anymore so it can be my identity as a "Big Book thumper."

I only use third-edition books with the circle and triangle in them. I go to used book stores to find those. I won't buy a fourth-edition, in fact I haven't bought a new piece of anything printed by AAWS, Inc. in years.
Jim

[RufusACanal]

I have my Big Book on my iPhone and I save word documents on specific Steps to help me remember where I am. Both my iPod or my iPhone makes it easier to carry everything I need to study or share information and they are easier to tote around.

[Freedom1990]

I do. Wednesday nights are our Big Book study and now 99% of the time at our other two meetings a week, we have been choosing something in the book to read/discuss.

[Kellye C]

I have the purse sized big book and 12 x 12 that others have talked about but only got them recently. For Christmas I bought my sponsee and her husband both a set of them as well as a set for my husband. My husband has already given away his pocket big book to a newcomer and so I need to get him another one.

Our group does have big books and 12 x 12's availble in the room for the studies or just for reference. Our group does make it a point to give out a big book to the newcomers. We TRY to instill in the members that if they do this to please put the money for the book in an envelope. Being the treasurer I can say that we give out WAY more big books than we get money for. But that's ok. Our group is over 25 years old and has a tradition of using money for big books before coffee which is also free to members in our group where I have been to others where you have to pay for a cup of coffee. So..... if it comes down to a choice of books or coffee there are going to be a bunch of alcoholics in caffeine withdrawal LOL!

We have people who open up the big book at the beginning of the meeting and keep it open throughout the meeting. They flip through it as things are discussed and then when they share they reference the book. They jump on those that do not have books or don't have them open. Then there are others who can cite it chapter and verse and don't seem to need to open it. I don't know if those would be considered Big Book Thumpers or not. I'm not real clear on what a big book thumper really is.